Brands
Chinese Wok appoints Havas as integrated creative and media partner
Desi-Chinese chain bets on integrated creative and media muscle to power national expansion
MUMBAI: Chinese Wok is turning up the heat. India’s largest desi-Chinese qsr chain has appointed Havas Creative India and Arena Media as its integrated creative, social and digital media partner, sharpening its marketing firepower as it pushes past 260 outlets and eyes 500 stores across tier 1, 2 and 3 cities.
The mandate is sweeping. Havas Creative India and Arena Media, part of Havas Media Network India, will steer creative strategy, brand campaigns, social media, digital performance marketing and media planning and buying, orchestrating campaigns across atl, digital and in-store touchpoints. The brief: build a unified, platform-led brand system fit for national scale.
Founded in 2015 under Lenexis Foodworks, Chinese Wok has grown into the country’s largest Chinese qsr brand, with a footprint spanning more than 50 cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Lucknow and Hyderabad. Now it wants more. Much more.
Aayush Madhusudan Agrawal, founder and director, Lenexis Foodworks, said the shift marks an investment in integrated brand building that matches the company’s growth ambitions. “As Chinese Wok scales nationally, we are investing in integrated brand building that matches our growth ambition. Havas will partner with us in shaping the next chapter of our journey, where creativity, culture and commerce work seamlessly together.”
The brand is doubling down on its youth-first positioning, amplifying cultural properties such as Wok FM and Crush Hour while building a broader content slate. The pivot away from campaign-led bursts to a continuous, platform-driven narrative signals a more systematised approach to brand equity.
Vikas Iyer, marketing head, Lenexis Foodworks, framed the move as essential to winning over Gen Z. “Chinese Wok has always been a culture-first brand, and as we deepen our connect with Gen Z, integration becomes critical. With Havas, we aim to create sharper campaigns, stronger digital ecosystems, and measurable impact, ensuring the brand stays relevant, visible, and performance-driven at scale”.
On the creative front, Anupama Ramaswamy, managing director and chief creative officer, Havas Creative India, described the brand as “pure fire, fast, flavourful and completely plugged into pop culture”. Her ambition: “to bottle that energy into a living brand platform that fuels everything, from big campaigns to cheeky social chatter to irresistible in-store experiences.” The goal, she added, is “stronger brand love, deeper youth obsession, and work that doesn’t just look good but moves business. More heat. More heart. More hunger”.
Uday Mohan, coo, Havas Media India and Havas Play, said integration is the real unlock. “By bringing together creative, media, and performance under one cohesive vision, we aim to build a brand ecosystem that is culturally sharp, digitally agile, and built for scale”.
Lenexis Foodworks also operates The Momo Co. and Big Bowl, but Chinese Wok remains its flagship and growth engine . As competition intensifies in India’s fast-food sector, scale alone is no longer enough. Cultural fluency, data-driven performance and seamless brand experiences are the new battleground.
Chinese Wok is betting that with Havas in its corner, it can serve up all three — fast, loud and at national scale.
Brands
Hisense launches Intelli Cool Pro air conditioners in India
New range brings rapid inverter cooling, Wi Fi voice control and R32 refrigerant
MUMBAI: Hisense is turning up the cool factor in India’s home appliance market with the launch of its Intelli Cool Pro Series room air conditioners, a new premium range designed to combine faster cooling with smarter connectivity.
Announced on 9 March, the launch expands the company’s residential air conditioner portfolio in India and brings its latest inverter technology and connected features to Indian homes.
At the centre of the new range is Hisense’s QSD rapid inverter technology, designed to accelerate compressor performance and bring down room temperature quickly after the unit is switched on. The system is built on the company’s nine generations of inverter development and aims to deliver stable cooling, reduced power fluctuations and improved long term reliability.
The Intelli Cool Pro Series also features an AI smart mode that automatically adjusts cooling levels according to room conditions and user preferences. The goal is simple: maintain comfort while keeping energy consumption in check.
Beyond cooling, the company is pitching the new models as a solution for healthier indoor air. The units are equipped with a 4 in 1 healthy filter designed to capture fine particulate matter, while a self clean function helps maintain hygiene within the system and improves overall air quality inside the home.
Connectivity is another key focus. The air conditioners come with built in Wi Fi through the Hisense ConnectLife platform, allowing users to control and monitor their AC remotely using a smartphone. Voice control is supported in both English and Hindi, while features such as scheduling and temperature customisation make it possible to manage cooling settings from anywhere.
From an environmental perspective, the new range uses R32 refrigerant, which has a global warming potential around 65 per cent lower than the commonly used R410A refrigerant. The company says the shift supports its broader push towards more energy efficient and environmentally responsible appliances.
The Intelli Cool Pro Series is designed to deliver powerful and even cooling across different room sizes. It includes features such as quick chill technology with 3D airflow design, four way auto swing for uniform air distribution and long distance airflow to cool larger spaces effectively. Multiple sleep modes, quiet operation and stabiliser free performance are also part of the package.
Hisense India chief executive officer Pankaj Rana said modern air conditioning needs to go beyond basic cooling as consumers increasingly look for intelligent performance, energy efficiency and healthier indoor environments. He added that the Intelli Cool Pro Series combines rapid inverter technology, AI driven adaptability and smart connectivity to meet the evolving needs of Indian households.
Along with the Intelli Cool Pro Series, Hisense has also introduced the Intelli Cool Series and the Eco Cool Series in India, further expanding its presence in the country’s growing air conditioner market.
